Dr. Riek Machar Teny, first Vice president of the Republic of South Sudan and the leader of the opposition Party -SPLM-IO.
Courtesy photo
The government has confirmed arresting the first Vice president and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar on the grounds that he is “In Conflict with the Law” and being investigated to establish the charges against him.
The SPLM-IO, a key armed partner in the peace process, said
on Thursday that its leader, Dr. Machar; his wife, Angelina Teny; and his team
were arrested on March 26, 2025, by security forces under President Kiir’s
directive.
However, the information minister and government
spokesperson, Michael Makuei, confirmed Dr. Machar’s house arrest in a press
conference on Friday but stated that his wife, Angelina Teny, was not arrested.
“Dr. Riek Machar was arrested because he is charged, accused
of being in conflict with the law,” Makuei stated.
“Since the beginning of March 2025 and according to our
intelligence and security reports, Dr. Riek Machar 1st Vice president and Commander-in-Chief
of the SPLM/A-IO has all this time been in contact with his people, with his
bases, and as a result of these contacts, a lot of things happened within the
month of March.”
While SPLM-IO Deputy Chairperson Oyet Nathaniel accused the
government of violating the 2017 ceasefire agreement with escalating airstrikes
and military operations near Juba, targeting cantonment sites and training
centers, government spokesperson Makuei claimed instead that Dr.
Machar incited rebellion to disrupt the peace agreement and
block the December 2026 elections. He also alleged that Machar directed SPLM-IO
forces to take over training centers, displacing SSPDF personnel, and said
these actions placed Machar 'in conflict with the law.
“As to how he is in conflict with the law, this is what will be investigated,” Makuei said. “As to how long will the investigation take place, investigation can even take one year. Yes! It depends on the evidence collected […] as long as you continue to collect more information, more evidence, then we don't have time limit for investigation.”
Machar remains under house detention as the civil society
and women's groups, IGAD and the African Union and the western allies called
for restraint, dialogue, his release and the upholding of the 2018 peace
agreement.
Although the SPLM-IO stated that Machar’s arrest ‘brings the
agreement to collapse,’ Makuei reaffirmed that the agreement is not dead. He
called on SPLM-IO members who fled the country in fear of arrest to return to
their duties, emphasizing that only Machar is in conflict with the law, not the
entire SPLM-IO.
The South Sudan Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU), which appointed Dr. Machar as First Vice President, derives its legitimacy from the fragile 2018 peace agreement that ended the five-year civil war. Attempts to remove Machar from the system are seen as threatening the collapse of the agreement and undermining the government’s legitimacy.
